Switch arrangement for a magnetic suspension railroad

ABSTRACT

An improved switch arrangement for a magnetic suspension railroad in which the normally vertical secondary reaction members associated with the roadbed are replaced in the switch area by members which are horizontal thereby leaving a horizontal air gap in the switch area and permitting ease of switching from the main track to a curved branch track.

United States Patent Bertling [451 Mar. 11, 1975 [75] Inventor: AntonBertling, Erlangen, Germany [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft,

Munich, Germany 221 Filed: Sept. 6, 19%

[21] Appl. No.: 394,862

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 29, 1972 Germany 2247858[52] US. Cl. 104/130 [51] Int. Cl. E01b 25/26 [58] Field of Search104/130, 148 MS, 148 LM [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,628,462 12/1971 Holt 104/130 one 7b 3,780,668 12/1973 Schwarzler et al104/148 MS Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kenyon &Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin [57] ABSTRACT An improved switch arrangementfor a magnetic suspension railroad in which the normally verticalsecondary reaction members associated with the roadbed are replaced inthe switch area by members which are horizontal thereby leaving ahorizontal air gap in the switch area and permitting ease of switchingfrom the main track to a curved branch track.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures b II I I! I1 17a119613 SWITCH ARRANGEMENTFOR A MAGNETIC SUSPENSION RAILROAD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONElectrically Propelled Railroad Vehicles With Elec- 1 tromagneticSuspension Guidance" by Herman Kemper published in the Journal ETZ A onJan. 1,

1953, pp. 13 and 14. In the system disclosed therein a three phasewinding is built into the pole surface of support magnets and used forthe propulsion of the vehicle. This permits a common reaction rail to beused both for the linear motor and for the support device. In regard tolateral guidance of the vehicle this design uses, in a manner similar tothat used in other systems, a current carrying conductor looparrangement installed in the vehicle which reacts with a magenticallyconducting rail installed perpendicular to the plane of the roadbed. Therail is separated from the conductor loop by an air gap which extendsperpendicular to the plane of the roadbed. In another electrodynamicsuspension guidance arrangement described in US. Pat. No. 1,020,943magnets are arranged which interact with electrically conducting partsof the track to generate lifting forces as the vehicle moves. Thisarrangement results in the vehicle being held in a suspended conditionwhile it is in motion. The use'of the same principles for use in lateralguidance of the vehicle is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,470,828. In thearrange ment shown therein, the air gap between the roadbed rail and theconductor loop on the vehicle is perpendicular in a manner similar tothe system described above.

In magnetic suspension railroads of this nature difficulties have beenencountered in the vicinity of switches in regard to maintainingguidance through the switch and in making a choice of direction at theswitch. In switching system described in a publication byMesserschmitt-Biilkow-Blohm entitled Development of a Rapid TransitSystem, Section Roadbed, Switch Concept," stationary magnets arearranged on the roadbed and armature bars in the vehicle. These interactto generate the necessary liftingforces in the switch area. For thepurpose of providing lateral guidance, additional electromagnets whichcoact with the guidance magents in the vehicle and generate guidanceforces are mounted at the outer rail guides in the switch. No mention ismade however, as to how propulsion is obtained in the switch area.

Thus it can be seen that difficulties are in the switch areaparticularly because of the vertical rails and the vertical air gapswhich must be maintained in most systems. Thus there is a need for animproved switching arrangement which permits maintaining suspension,lateral guidance and propulsion throughout the vicinity of the switch.Further there is a need for a system in which the direction of travelmay be selected and monitored from the vehicle or through the use ofsimple remote control means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a system whichfulfills all the above noted needs. To accomplish this, in the area ofthe switch, the normally vertical secondary conductor loops or railswhich are installed on the roadbed along with the reaction rail forlinear propulsion, are replaced by conductor loops or plates which areplaced in a plane which is essentially parallel to the plane of theroadbed. To generate the necessary forces in conjunction with theseplates in the area of the switch, additional magnets or primaryconductor loops are installed in the vehicle and arranged so that theair gaps between these conductor loops or magnets and the 5 conductorplates or loops on the roadbed also lie in planes parallel to theroadbed. In addition to providing advantages in regard to switching of amagnetically suspended vehicle this arrangement permits conventionaltrackbound vehicles to travel the same rails without danger ofinterference from the magnetic suspension rails. For the purpose ofselecting travel direction, guidance rails are provided only on theoutsides of the switch, i.e., on the outside of the straight section andon what is actually the inside of the curved section. This permits oneor other of the primary guidance loops installed on each side of thevehicle to be energized prior to entering the switch to thereby causetravel in the selected direction to occur. As compared to previoussysterns wherein electromagnets were mounted at the switch, design issimplified, operation safer and power savings achieved. The arrangementplaces no excessive demands on the guage accuracy of the track in theswitch. In addition adequate propulsion is maintained throughout theswitch area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional viewthrough the vehicle and roadbed of a magnetic suspension railroadconstructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a force diagram illustrating the lateral guidance forcesgenerated in the arrangement shown on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the track in the area of the switch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated on FIG.I the roadbed, designated generally by 1, has installed on each side aconductor plate 3. Conductor plates 3 are separated by a horizontal airgap from current carrying loops 4 installed in the vehicle whichcooperate therewith to generate lifting forces in accordance with theelectrodynamic principles. When on a straight track section, lateralguidance of the vehicle is obtained through the interaction of primaryconductor loops 6 in the vehicle with secondary conductor loopskr plates7 installed on the roadbed. These are shown in dotted lines since in thearea of the switch they are replaced as will be described below. Withinthe vehicle are installed the stator parts of a linear motor designatedby 8. These act through air gaps to cooperate with the rail 7, which inaddition to being used for lateral guidance also forms the reactionrail, to generate propulsion forces for the vehicle. Conventional rails9 are also mounted to the roadbed for use by conventional rail vehiclesand for use during starting and stopping operation of the magneticsuspension ve hicle. These rails 9 cooperate with retractable wheelsinstalled on the vehicle. Prior to starting, the vehicle will be restingwith its wheels 10 on the rails 9. The linear motor is switched on andacceleration forces generated with the vehicle running on the wheels.After a predetermined minimum velocity is reached, lifting forces aregenerated which will maintain suspension of the vehicle. Once thisoccurs the wheels are retracted and the vehicle will be maintained in asuspended condition by the interaction of the primary conductor loops 4and the secondary conductor loops 3 on the roadbed.

In the switch area the vertical conductor plates 7 are replaced by aplate 7a and conductor plates 7b which are installed on both sides ofthe switch. These conductor plates 7a and 7b, unlike the conductorplates 7 which were vertical, are installed in a horizontal manner,i.e., essentially parallel to the plane of the roadbed. Within thevehicle additional primary conductor loops 6b are installed whichcooperate with the conductors 7b to generate guidance forces whilewithin the switch area. An additional linear motor stator 8 is installedto cooperate with the plate 7a to generate the necessary propulsionforces. As shown the respective air gaps 8,, 8 and 8 between thesuspension arrangement comprising primary conductor loops 4 and plates3, the guidance arrangement comprising primary conductor loops 6b andconductors 7b and in linear motor arrangement comprising the stator 8aand the reaction rail 7a all lie in planes parallel to the plane of theroadbed.

FIG. 2 illustrates the restoring force K which is produced by deviationfrom the present position of the vehicle over the track, i.e., theposition shown where the primary conductor loops 6b are directly overthe rails 7b. The forces are plotted over the width b of the rails 7b.As illustrated, a very small deviation from the center point results inhigh values of restoring force to properly maintain the vehicle indesired position over the roadbed.

A plan view of the switch area is illustrated by FIG. 3. As shown, theplates 7 are extended only to the entrance and exit from the switch.Within the switch they are replaced by the conducting plates 7a and 7bas illustrated. The plates 3 used for generating support forces areextended through the switch area. The plates 3 are designated within theswitch area by the number 7a since together with the other centerportion 7a they make up a plate substantially filling the switch areaexcept for slots to the rails 9. Also, as illustrated the conductingplates 7b, which are magnetically conductive, are installed only on theoutsides of the switch. That is one conducting plate 7b is installed onthe outside of the straight section and another plate 7b on what startsout as the other side of the straight track and actually becomes theinside of the curved portion of the track. The installation of the rails7b with only one being associated with each of the straight and curvedsections of track permits direction of travel to be selected byselectively energizing one or the other of the primary conductor loops6b. Thus, if the conductor loops 6b on the left hand side is energizedthe vehicle will follow the curved track section.

Preferably the plates 7a and 7b will be arranged so that the air gaps 88 lie at least approximately in a single plane which is in the vecinityof the upper edge of the rails 9 used for starting and stopping. Thisavoids having parts which protrude above the running rails 9 and permitsease of operation when conventional vehicles are used on the sameroadbed. Thus a single roadv bed can be used for both magneticallysuspended vehicles and conventional rail-bound vehicles. This permitsconventional vehicles coming from points outside the portion of therailroad which is equipped for magnetic suspension to ride on the sametracks and thus many more points can be served without the installationof additional roadbeds.

Thus an improved switching arrangement for use in a magnetic suspensionrailroad has been shown. Although a specific embodiment has beenillustrated and described it will be obvious to those skilled in the artthat various modifications may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention which is intended to be limited solely by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a magnetic suspension railroad wherein there is installed in therailroad vehicle at least one winding carrier of a linear motor andprimary conductor means for magnetic support and lateral guidance of thevehicle which primary roadbed, means cooperate with secondary conductormeans associated with the raodbed, with lateral guidance provided bysecondary conductor plates installed vertically on each side of theroadbed, an improved switching arrangement for such a railroadcomprising:

a. horizontal secondary conductor means replacing said verticalsecondary conductor means in the area of the switch, only on theoutsides of the track of the roadbed to result in the air gap betweensaid secondary conductor means and primary conductor means in thevehicle lying in planes essentially parallel to the plane of theroadbed; and

b. additional primary conductor loops arranged in the vehicle to reactwith said secondary conductor loops whereby by selecting one or theother of the primary control loops in the vehicle, the direction oftravel may be selected.

2. The invention according to claim I wherein the linear motor windingcooperates with a vertical reaction rail on straight sections of trackand wherein said vertical reaction rail is replaced by a horizontalreaction rail in the switch area and further including an additionalwinding carrier in said vehicle arranged to cooperate with saidhorizontal reaction rail.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the secondary conductormeans installed on each side of said track are magnetically conductive.

4. In a magnetic suspension railroad wherein there is installed in therailroad vehicle at least one winding carrier of a linear motorcooperating with a vertical reaction rail on the roadbed and primaryconductor means for magnetic support and lateral guidance of thevehicle, which primary conductor means cooperate with secondaryconductor means associated with the roadbed, at least some of whichsecondary conductor means are installed vertical to the point of theroadbed, an improved switching arrangement for use in such a railroadcomprising:

a. secondary conductor means installed in the switch area of the roadbedsuch that the air gap. existing between said secondary conductor meansand the primary conductor means in the vehicle lie in planes essentiallyparallel to the plane of the roadbed;

cl. an additional winding carrier in said vehicle arranged to cooperatewith said horizontal reaction rail.

1. In a magnetic suspension railroad wherein there is installed in therailroad vehicle at least one winding carrier of a linear motor andprimary conductor means for magnetic support and lateral guidance of thevehicle which primary roadbed, means cooperate with secondary conductormeans associated with the raodbed, with lateral guidance provided bysecondary conductor plates installed vertically on each side of theroadbed, an improved switching arrangement for such a railroadcomprising: a. horizontal secondary conductor means replacing saidvertical secondary conductor means in the area of the switch, only onthe outsides of the track of the roadbed to result in the air gapbetween said secondary conductor means and primary conductor means inthe vehicle lying in planes essentially parallel to the plane of theroadbed; and b. additional primary conductor loops arranged in thevehicle to react with said secondary conductor loops whereby byselecting one or the other of the primary control loops in the vehicle,the direction of travel may be selected.
 1. In a magnetic suspensionrailroad wherein there is installed in the railroad vehicle at least onewinding carrier of a linear motor and primary conductor means formagnetic support and lateral guidance of the vehicle which primaryroadbed, means cooperate with secondary conductor means associated withthe raodbed, with lateral guidance provided by secondary conductorplates installed vertically on each side of the roadbed, an improvedswitching arrangement for such a railroad comprising: a. horizontalsecondary conductor means replacing said vertical secondary conductormeans in the area of the switch, only on the outsides of the track ofthe roadbed to result in the air gap between said secondary conductormeans and primary conductor means in the vehicle lying in planesessentially parallel to the plane of the roadbed; and b. additionalprimary conductor loops arranged in the vehicle to react with saidsecondary conductor loops whereby by selecting one or the other of theprimary control loops in the vehicle, the direction of travel may beselected.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the linear motorwinding cooperates with a vertical reaction rail on straight sections oftrack and wherein said vertical reaction rail is replaced by ahorizontal reaction rail in the switch area and further including anadditional winding carrier in said vehicle arranged to cooperate withsaid horizontal reaction rail.
 3. The invention according to claim 1wherein the secondary conductor means installed on each side of saidtrack are magnetically conductive.